Bengals can't let Demetrius Knight, Barrett Carter prevent a Bobby Wagner signing originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cincinnati Bengals' top priority this offseason was to improve a defense that was absolutely awful last season.
Along with protecting Joe Burrow, improving the defense is always a high priority for the Bengals because, as is the case with protecting Burrow, they fail at it on a yearly basis.
But they can't afford to do either of those things again this year, as reports suggest this could be a huge campaign when it comes to Burrow's future in Cincinnati.
"This is considered to be a hugely significant season for Joe Burrow and his future in Cincinnati. If the Bengals cannot turn it around, some have speculated about whether Burrow might wonder whether he is better off playing in another NFL city," ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.
Another lackluster showing for Cincinnati and Burrow could be looking for the exit.
The Bengals have a ready-made upgrade waiting for them on the free-agent market in Bobby Wagner and they can't let him go elsewhere.
Cincinnati is slated to enter the season with Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter as their starters. The problem, as Cincy Jungle's Jason Garrison writes, they were not good (and that's putting it nicely) last season.
"Knight and Carter were the worst linebacker duo in the league in 2025, but the Bengals are planning on the reshaped defensive line, especially the addition of Lawrence, helping the young linebackers," Garrison said. "Remember how good young Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt were when DJ Reader was soaking up blockers in front of them? That’s the hope."
While Garrison makes a good point there, we can also point out a few flaws.
The Bengals are beyond the point of relying on hope. They've got to make sure things are locked down moving forward, or at least do the best they can to lock them down. Simply going with Barrett and Knight isn't good enough.
Lest we forget, Dexter Lawrence is coming off a down season and Cincinnati can't afford to simply rely on him to fix two positions.
They need a reinforcement and Wagner is the perfect fit.
Despite being 35 years old (36 in June), Wagner is still playing like an elite linebacker and literally did a little bit of everything last season.
He stacked up 162 sacks, his 14th-straight season with over 100, and added 4.5 sacks, nine QB hits, eight tackles for loss, two picks and four passes defensed.
According to Pro Football Focus, Wagner ranked ninth in overall grade (78.6), fifth in run defense grade (90.3) and second in pass-rush grade (92.4) among linebackers.
He would be just what the doctor ordered for a Bengals defense that finished dead-last in run defense and 22nd in sacks. And, he would be a perfect mentor for the Bengals' young linebackers.
There are few, if any options in free agency who are a better fit for the Bengals than Wagner. They need to go get him, and right now.